Courtesy PhotoBrooke Eilers had a personal-best time at NCAA regionals.

Brooke Eilers almost missed her collegiate championship run.

The 2008 Holland Christian graduate, a redshirt sophomore distance runner for the University of Iowa track and field team, almost walked away from her collegiate career because of a long list of injuries.

At Iowa, Eilers has had a stress fracture in her shin and IT band syndrome (pain in the ligament outside her left knee). Those followed two stress fractures in her shins while at Holland Christian.

"Last year in the spring my IT band wasn’t going to away, and I wasn’t sure I could run again, or get to the level I wanted to," Eilers said. "I thought about it for a while (giving competitive running up), but I talked with a teammate (Betsy Flood), and she just reminded me it’s not all about running and running fast times, but the relationships I have made that was worth the experience, regardless of the struggles."

So Eilers, the 2008 Division 2 state champion in the 3,200-meter run for the Maroons, decided to stay. But changes needed to be made.

"This past year, I’ve been running three to four days a week and cross training three to four, depending the workouts," Eilers said. "So instead of running 60 to 70 miles a week, I’m running 35 to 45 miles a week, and then pool running or getting on the elliptical and it’s worked great. I am injury free."

The training, and a healthy body, paid off at the NCAA Division I West Regional in Eugene, Ore., on May 30 when Eilers qualified for this weekend’s national championships by finishing 12th in the 5,000 meters with a personal-best of 16 minutes, 11 seconds.

ATHLETS TO WATCH

Tia Brooks, OklahomaThe sophomore from East Kentwood finished runner-up in the shot put at this year’s NCAA Division I Indoor Meet.

Mary Angell, KentuckyThe senior from Byron Center is the third seed in the discus with a regional throw of 56.26 meters

Brooke Eilers, IowaThe redshirt sophomore from Holland Christian has battled through injuries to make her first NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships

Zach Hill, Michigan StateThe two-time state champion in both the shot put and discus from Allendale, is the 15th seed in the shot put with a regional throw of 18.12 meters

Codi Mattix, Michigan StateThe sophomore from Saranac is the 16th seed in the men’s pole vault.

That time was 15 seconds off her best time, and seeded her 15th in the 5,000 at the NCAA championships, which begin today and run through Saturday at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

"I was standing by coach watching the second heat to see if my time was fast enough," Eilers said. "When I found I got in, I took off my spikes and went into the stands to find my parents. It was a lot of happiness and shock."

Iowa women’s track coach Layne Anderson was glad that Eilers will get her chance at the championships because of all she has had to endure.

"It’s been a three-year journey of ups and downs and highs and lows," Anderson said. "She has had a history of injuries in high school, so we knew she wasn’t resilient. And she has had to deal with injuries here, so along the way it’s been how much running she can and cant do, and how much supplemental training she can do.

"You can’t run 30 miles a week and compete against the best in the nation," he added. "They are training 70 to 80 miles a week. So we have had to be creative, with the elliptical, the pool and stationary bike. Those have been her good friends."Eilers will test her cross training 8:10 p.m. Friday in the 5,000 meters.

"Going to the national championships was not on my mind at start of year, I never thought it would happen," Eilers said. "I don’t really have any expectations. It will just be fun being in Iowa and running at Drake, because it is kind of like a home stadium because we run there so much. Expectations are set aside; I just want to enjoy the experience."

The new training method has Eilers thinking of the future.

"This has definitely given me confidence, knowing I can run with the top girls," Eilers said. "And that the new training works. I don’t have to run every day to be successful."